‘Mormon belongs to the public’: Podcaster files response in LDS Church trademark infringement lawsuit
ABC News 4, Uah/June 24, 2026
By Amelia Hobson
After being sued by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints for alleged trademark infringement, the ‘Mormon Stories’ Podcast has filed a response, claiming that the Church has abandoned the trademark ‘Mormon’, despite their representations to the U.S Patent and Trademark Office.
Mormon Stories is a podcast that focuses on the lived experiences of current and former members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, according to their website.
On Monday, Dehlin and the Mormon Stories parent organization, Open Stories Foundation, filed their response to a lawsuit filed by the Church that alleged copyright infringement on the podcast.
They also claimed that the Church had misrepresented their usage of ‘Mormon’ when trademarking it.
Ultimately, the defendants also argue that no entity has the right to control the use of ‘Mormon’, because it has been used by millions of people with diverse backgrounds and numerous religious sects.
The new filing states, “‘Mormon’ belongs to the public.”
Initial Lawsuit
The initial lawsuit, filed in April 2026, claimed that the ‘Mormon Stories’ podcast used branding overly similar to the Church’s trademarked logos.
The Church claimed that they had used the name Mormon since its founding nearly 200 years ago and that Dehlin’s podcast branding caused the public to believe it is associated with or endorsed by the church.
Some of Dehlin’s branding reportedly copied trademarked logos, including a light rays design, and similar fonts and colors.
According to the lawsuit, the Church had reached out to Dehlin about the supposed infringement and that he agreed to make changes but did not do so. The Church alleges he refused to include statements in the podcast to clarify that the podcast is not associated with the Church.
Logo debate
According to the defendants’ most recent filing, the Church first represented to the United States Patent & Trademark Office (USPTO) that they would use “Book of Mormon Stories” in connection with podcasts on November 1, 2010.
The Church also reportedly testified, under oath, that there were no names similar that would create confusion with their podcast name. However, Dehlin had reportedly started using the name Mormon Stories for his podcast years prior.
The Defendants also claim that Mormon Stories used a light ray design feature years before the Church began to use it and call it a “Light Ray Design”.
In the response, the defendants admitted that they use certain images that relate to the history and teachings of the Church, and, in December 2022, used a blue logo.
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